.- Mexico’s Supreme Court has ruled that a directive issued by the health department ordering hospitals to make the morning-after pill available in cases of rape is constitutional, despite scientific studies that show the drug is an abortifacient.
The case reached the Supreme Court after the Governor of Jalisco, Emilio Gonzalez, challenged the directive, arguing it violates the Mexican constitution.
Cristina Marquez, a researcher at the Department of Embryology at Mexico’s National Autonomous University, confirmed that the morning-after pill can work as an abortifacient.
If taken 24 to 48 hours after sexual relations, the pill can prevent the implantation of an embryo in the uterus.
“The union of the sperm and ovum results in a new human being, no matter what happens from the embryological point of view, what is formed is a new human being. And the intention of using this kind of drug would be to precisely prevent the embryo from forming,” she said.
Marquez also warned that the drug alters a woman’s hormonal balance and can lead to serious health problems.
